Security personnel will be relying on Samsung video surveillance cameras to help them maintain a safe and secure environment at Manchester Metropolitan University’s new Business School when it opens in September 2012.The new Business School will be located in an architecturally stunning £75 million building located on the University’s All Saints campus. 4,000 undergraduate and 1,000 postgraduate students will be able to enjoy the ultra modern facilities of the new building whilst pursuing degrees or carrying out research in all the major sub-disciplines of business and management. “The teaching rooms and lecture theatres in the new Business School will be equipped with the very latest IT equipment, projection and audio equipment,” said Mark Shutt, Security Manager for Manchester Metropolitan University. “We will need to detect any would-be thieves who might be tempted to steal the valuable equipment that we have invested in to provide the best possible teaching facilities. Apart from the cost of replacing any items which might be stolen or damaged, the consequential costs in terms of disruption to the teaching process is also something we are determined to avoid. We also intend to have a zero tolerance policy in respect of anti-social behaviour.”110 Samsung dome cameras have been installed throughout the new building, 95 of which are SNV-3080 fixed position dome cameras. The remainder are SNP-3301 PTZ domes which have a 30x optical zoom facility to allow operators to observe close up detail of faraway objects or people. Both models incorporate Day/Night cameras and feature Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) technology which makes them ideal for locations where there may be strong contrasting lighting conditions. They also both offer multiple streaming of images with a choice of MJPEG, MPEG-4 and H.264 compression methods, providing the option to simultaneously transmit images to multiple locations at various frame rates up to 25 frames per second, and at different resolutions. This allows different authorised users to monitor live images at the University’s control room whilst having the option to record and store video evidence at another location. At the same time, images can be saved onto an on-board SD memory card and if required, email notifications of any incidents can be sent to a smartphone.
95 of the 110 cameras are Samsung SNV-3080 fixed position dome cameras
“We took advice from a number of people, as well as carrying out our own research in order to ensure that we had chosen the correct cameras for what we wished to achieve from the video surveillance system,” said Mark Shutt. “After considerable analysis of all the options available, (and there was certainly no shortage of other cameras to consider), we came to the conclusion that we could trust the Samsung brand and that their cameras offered us the best price/performance ratio.”The images from all of the 110 domes are streamed across the network to a secure control room located in the University’s Cambridge Halls South building. Operators in the control room can view live or recorded images of any incident with the help of Samsung’s recording software platform via one of six monitors.

Hikvision cameras and a specially designed SKOV VMS allows handlers to monitor the pigs
Hikvision worked with farm management solutions provider SKOV to bring the art of weighing pigs into the 21st Century, with the help of mini-dome cameras and a bespoke VMS system.
The pig is one of the most populous large mammals in the world, with an estimated 986.6 million pigs at any one time. This also means, of course, that piggeries are big business, as pork is the most commonly meat consumed worldwide.
Part of managing a piggery is to ensure that each pig is able to grow to its full potential. The average weight of a pig at market is 275 lbs, but keeping an eye on the weight of individual animals can be tricky. If a pig is smaller than it pen-mates, it is likely to be pushed away when it comes to feeding time. This means it will not grow to its full size. In this situation, pig farmers may move the smaller pigs into a separate pen, so they can get to the food and ‘catch up’ with their larger brothers and sisters.
Methods and challenges
But how do you weigh a pig? Traditional methods involved a tape measure and many hands and were, of course, very time consuming to complete. And that was without the math part at the end! Later methods saw farmers installing weighing apparatus, which was costly, and also time consuming with handlers needing to ‘persuade’ individual pigs onto the scales. Another issue with this system was that accuracy could be affected, as it was hard to tell if the scales had just one pig on them.
“The pig handlers need to drag the pigs physically to the scales, which is not only very hard, time-consuming work, but also stresses the pig out”, said Kasper Ronn Christensen, Strategic Purchaser at SKOV. “Stressed pigs don’t eat, which also affects their growth rate.”
Hikvision cameras and SKOV VMS solution
Enter a whole new innovative solution, using Hikvision cameras and a specially designed SKOV VMS. After testing various cameras, SKOV approached Hikvision because of the competitive price and clear, reliable pictures even at only 2MP resolution. That, combined with the ability to build a firmware specifically for their needs, persuaded SKOV to work with Hikvision.
Between four and eight 2-line mini-dome cameras (DS-2CD2142FWD-I (4mm)) are placed in the pigpens, to allow handlers to see what’s going on and to monitor the growth progress of the pigs. These specific cameras were chosen because of the low amount of spare space in a pigpen and the importance of an affordable solution.
Weight calculation and monitoring
“We were looking for a solution that could be used by piggeries all over the world”, says Kasper Ronn Christensen. “That meant we needed to make it simple, practical and affordable. The fact that, even at a relatively low resolution of 2MP, clear actionable pictures were consistently available made these cameras a smart choice.”
Connection to the SKOV VMS means that the pigs’ weights can be calculated and so monitored. The VMS also gives alarms if a pig doesn’t follow the required growth rate, so steps can be taken.
The success of the project in Denmark means it can be replicated all over the world to help piggeries to manage their pigs and make sure they maximise their potential. SKOV is offering the solution to all regions with piggeries, including in Thailand, where they have a subsidiary.
Digitalised smart farming systems
“The cameras are integrated and working as expected, so we can look to the future”, says Kasper Ronn Christensen. “We are really impressed with the way Hikvision adapted their firmware to our needs. I also love the innovative approach - who would have thought that a technology that was designed to help spot intruders could be used to ensure pigs grew to the correct weight!”
Peter Guan, Channel and Marketing Director at Hikvision Europe, said: “We are heading to a future where traditional farming is digitalised into smart farming, where surveillance cameras are not only used for crime prevention at the farms, but also as useful tools for farmers. Hikvision’s ecosystem partner program allows easy software and hardware integration so that end users can benefit from an innovative and more powerful complete solution.”

Bialystok, a beautiful historic city of 300,000 in the northeast of Poland, is one of the nation’s major population centres. Devastated in World War II and languishing for a long period afterward, the city has seen a renaissance in recent years, with restoration of its beautiful architecture and modernisation of infrastructure as the Polish economy has boomed.
One particular change that has come upon this serene city with unexpected rapidity is the increase in car ownership, which has more than tripled in Poland since 2005. Over the last decade, the growing need for an up-to-date, comprehensive traffic monitoring system has become increasingly apparent.
Surveillance enhancement for traffic surges
The growing need for an up-to-date, comprehensive traffic monitoring system has become increasingly apparent Cameras were the most costly item within the traditional traffic surveillance system originally deployed in Bialystok. To capture as many angles as possible, large numbers of cameras were required, often several at each intersection. As well as being an eyesore, this also meant that the cost of linking and synchronising the array of cameras to the central surveillance system was exorbitant.
To avoid impacting traffic, which is heavy during the daylight hours, installation and construction work was usually carried out at night. The restricted hours for installation caused long delays in camera setups. Worse, the system itself no longer met the needs of the rapidly developing city.
Despite the large numbers of cameras, the field of view of individual cameras was too narrow and when accidents happened it was difficult to try to piece together footage from several cameras in an attempt to reconstruct the incident. Often, there was no way to determine from the footage just who was at fault. A better solution was needed.
Seamless collaboration to seamless implementation
Zarzad Dróg Miejskich (ZDM), the municipal unit responsible for the road system in Bialystok needed to revamp, simplify, and upgrade their inefficient traffic camera system, so they worked with systems software manager Siemens and engaged VIVOTEK’s local distributor Suma Solutions to come up with an answer that would meet their needs. Siemens developed the system software around technology provided by VIVOTEK, a provider of IP surveillance solutions, offers dedicated traffic surveillance and management solutions, and has recently released its remarkable FE8174V H.264 5-megapixel fisheye network camera.The hemispherical images captured on camera can be automatically retooled to conventional projection specifications for easy viewing
The FE8174V is VIVOTEK’s fisheye network camera. This vandal-proof, WDR-enhanced, day/night camera features a detailed 5-megapixel resolution sensor with superior image quality. Its fisheye lens captures a 180° panoramic view when wall-mounted, and a stunning 360° surround view with no blind spots when mounted overhead. With its choice of display layouts—surround view, panoramic view, and regional view—it is the perfect solution for those who need coverage of wide, open areas as well as a high degree of flexibility.
With the advanced image processing capabilities, the hemispherical images captured on camera can be automatically retooled to conventional projection specifications for easy viewing. As the camera’s primary application is outdoors and demands reliability in all conditions, a weather-proof IP66-rated and vandal-proof IK10-rated housing keeps the camera body clear of rain and dust and maintains functionality in all types of weather.
The VIVOTEK FE8174V features a removable IR-cut filter, which is unquestionably the best choice for those who need a hardy, all-weather, 24/7 system with a full range of coverage.
Enhanced resolution means better traffic safety
ZDM installed 130 VIVOTEK FE8174V cameras at intersections throughout Bialystok. Now, with far fewer cameras, traffic controllers can get a clear, sharp overview of the whole field without any blind spots. VIVOTEK’s fisheye camera dewarping capabilities allow monitors to adopt different presentation modes
A single VIVOTEK FE8174V provides the coverage of four outdoor bullet cameras in one image, and has resulted in cost savings at the same time as providing more complete coverage. Fewer cameras has also meant a decrease in costs associated with the backend management platform, network communications equipment, and storage equipment; it has also protected the aesthetic properties of the city by decluttering the skyline.
Further, VIVOTEK’s fisheye camera dewarping capabilities allow monitors to adopt different presentation modes. Now, Management Center operators can easily monitor and verify traffic incidents and use the image recognition software to increase traffic control efficiency. The city of Bialystok has finally achieved a traffic management and surveillance system that can keep pace with its rapid growth while remaining in harmony with the local culture and architecture.